Refund coin carrier and mailer



June 8, 1965 w. T. GELLER I 3,187,988

REFUND COIN CARRIER AND MAILER Filed June 19, 1963 Fig. 4

I II [III [IA/[Ill Ill/l/l/l/I/I/ 1 I/fII/II III/ III Il l'l III/Ill]William 7-' Gel/er INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,187,988 REFUND CQEN CARREJER AND MA'ILER WilliamT. Golfer, 493 Foch Blvd, Mineoia, NE. Filed June f9, 1963, Ser. No.2S9,lld2 2 Claims. (El. Z292.9)

who has purchased a newly advertised product with the p understandingthat upon compliance with prescribed requirements (mailing a box top,label or the like to the producer or merchandiser) a cash refund willfollow in regular order of business.

Assuring safe delivery of a refund coin to the place of residence of anexpectant recipient has always posed a cash handling problem and is ofvital concern to the sender, the receiver and, what is equally if notmore significant, to the U.S. Post Office and its aifiliates. Prior artcoin cards, wrappers and containers are unpopular and have not met withwidespread adoption and use because they not only do not solve theproblem, they tend to promote .pilfering. Prior art adaptations areusually characterized by a coin pocket or pockets, sometimes by aflat-faced card on which the coin is taped and held and generallyanalogous constructions wherein it is not difficult for 0116110 eithersee or feel the outline of the coin only to be likely'to pilfer the coindespite the likelihood of being caught or charged with tampering withthe mail. There are, of course, many aspects to the overall problem butno effort will be made here to dwell upon this aspect of the matterother than to state that it is an objective in the instant matter toeffectually cope with the problem by offering for use an efiicient andreliable refund mailer as will be hereinafter more specifically setforth.

It follows that the instant endeavor has to do with an innovation, arefund mailer coinrcard which, in keeping with the invention underadvisement, must be mailed from the advertisers place of business to therecipient customer by placing it in a duly, stamped sealed and addressedenvelope to assure safe delivery of the same to the residence of therecipient.

While the sealed card containing envelope is an indispensable factor inassuring a desirably successful result it will be understood that it isprimarily the refund mailer which is the article of chiefest importancein the instant matter. Briefly and in respect to this aspect of theoverall concept novelty is predicated on a structurally and functionallynovel card which is designed and adapted to be inserted for enclosedmailing in a conventional stamped, sealed, first-class envelope. Thiscard is characterized by f-oldable overlapping non-transparent panelportions whose opposed overlapping surfaces are securely fastenedtogether in a feasible and reliable manner to define and provide atamper-proof coin holding and transmitting packet. The panel portionspermit the coin to be sandwiched and retentively :held therebetweenwhile being transmitted intact through the mails, the fastening meansfor the panel portions preventing the coin from shifting from its givenposition whereby to thus effectually assist in rendering the packet,when properly handled, pilfer-pr-oof and such that it may be approvedand endorsed by all parties concerned.

More explicitly, the invention resides in the stated card which ispreferably rectangular in its flatwise or blank form. This cardboard (orequivalent) blank has a foldline at the center and running lengthwisewhich divides the same into duplicate panel portions each rectangular inplan. The overlapping or interior surfaces ice of the panel portions areWholly coated with pressure:

tions together and seals the coin in its given position therebetween. Itshould be noted that the nature of the adhesive is such that it does notadhere directly to the coin. Hence when the packet is received, theenvelope opened and the packet removed from the envelope theconstruction of the component parts thereof do not hinder or hamper onesefforts to successfully dislodge and free the coin for ready pocket orother use.

Then, too,'novelty is predicated on the construction stated wherein theexterior surfaces of the panel portions are appropriately textured tocarry printed ads. This advertising matter is a part of the overallcornmercializing program.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective which shows the refund mailer orrefund coin concealing, carrying and mailing card and which suggests theadvertising media F and shows a severable portion peeled back (which canbe done easily because of the perforated line) and ex-,

, posing the coin for removal;

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective showing the intact ready-tofold blank,that is, the construction thereof before it is folded into halves andprovided with the coin to function as the refund mailer of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view which ties in, so to speak, with FIG. 1 in that itshows the mailer intact and sealed in a conventional appropriately sizedenvelope with a portion of the corner of the envelope broken away toexpose a corner portion of the mailer; and

FIGURE 4 is an exaggerated section taken on the section line 44 of FIG.1.

The card or blank as an entity and as illustrated in FIG. 2 isapproximately 5%" by 5%" considered in its fiatwise form. This card orblank is conveniently denoted as an entity by the numeral 6. One flatsize face, which may be conveniently referred to as the front 8, issmooth and calendered and suitably prepared to recelye the advertisingwhether it be printed or otherwise displayed thereon. The opposite faceor surface denoted at 10 is completely or fully coated with latex-gumand which may be appropriately designated here as a pressure-sensitiveadhesive. The adhesive per se is denoted at 12. The numeral 14designates a foldline which is positioned midway between the lengthwisemarginal edges whereby to thus transform the overall blank intohalf-sections or rectangular panel portions 16 and 18. The panel portion16 is provided midway between its left and right end portions with aright angularly disposed perforated line 20 which 1's at right angles toand therefore opens at its outer end through the coacting free edge 22.A like or corresponding perforated line 24 is provided midway betweenthe left and right ends of the panel portion 18 and here again the outerend of this line opens through the coacting marginal edge 26. The refundcoin 1's denoted at 28 in FIG. 1 and it will be clear that the coin isto have a specified place of attachment which as illustrated in FIG. 1happens to be in line with the oppositely aligned perforated lines 20and 24. In fact it is best to place the coin approximately asillustrated with one half to the left and the other half to the right ofthe coacting lines 20 and 24.

Experimental use has shown that the particular pressure sensitiveadhesive 12 sticks only to itself and'therefore does not alfect the coinwhich is sandwiched between the halves or panel portions in the mannerillustrated. This is true even after the coin has been pressed firmlybetween {p the folded cards and thus readied for mailing, as indicatedin FIG. 3. Therefore by tearing the severable portions of the respectivehalves either one or both as suggested in FIG. .1 easy access'can be hadto the coin after the packet has been removed from the envelope A asshown in FIG. 3. The envelope is a conventional gum-sealed type and isof the size shown to fittingly receive the refund mailer with requisitenicety.

It is submitted that a careful consideration of the specification inconjunction with the illustrativeQbut not restrictive, views of thedrawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensiveunderstanding of the inventive concept and features and advantagesattending the same. Thereforejamore extended description is thought tobe unnecessary. a a

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art,.it is not desired to lirnitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay he resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A refund coin carrier and mailer comprising: an easy-to-use cardadapted for enclosed mailing in a conventional stamped, sealed envelopeaddressed to the recipient of a refund coin, said card having foldableoverlapping panel portions whose opposed overlapping surfaces arefastened together in a manner to define and provide a tamperproof coinholding and transmitting insert for said envelope, said panel portionspermitting the coin to be sandwiched and retentively held therebetweenwhile being transmitted intact through the mails and also preventing thecoin from shifting from its given position and thus rendering saidinsert substantial-1y pilferproof, said card being made from arectangular cardboard blank having a median fold/line dividing saidblank into said panel portions each rectangular in plan, saidoverlapping surfaces. constituting the interior surface and being whollycoated with pressure-sensitive adhesive Which effectively sticks thepanel portions together and seals the coin in its given positiontherebetween but is such in character that it does not adhere directlyto the coin and hence does not binder and hamper the recipient indislodging and freeing t-hecoin for ready pocket use, the exteriorsurfaces of the panel portions being calendered and smooth, the medianportion of at least one panel portion being provided with a line ofperforations extending at right angles from the free lengthwise edge anddefining and providing an accessible easy-to-tear area With which theinserted coin is aligned for ready nnhampered removal, and the medianportion of the other panel portion being likewise constructed, therespective perforated lines being opposite and aligned with each other.

2. Refund coin carrying and intact mailing means comprising a sealedenvelope of a substantially conventional type and characterized by areceptacle portion and acommon scalable closing flap, and an insertenclosed in said envelope, said insert comprising a cardboard blankhaving a median foldline dividing said blank into duplicate panelportions, said panel portions having overlapping surfaces wholly coatedwith pressure sensitive adhesive causing said surfaces and panelportions to adhere together and to in such manner seal and retain agiven refund .coin in a predetermined position between said panelportions, said adhesive media having such properties as are required tocause the same to adhere directly to opposite sides of said coin butonly temporarily, whereby to enable one to open the envelope in a usualmanner, remove the return coin holding card and dislodge and free thecoin with the surfaces of the coin substantially unaffected by theaforementioned adhesive media, the exterior surfaces of the panelportions of said card being calendered' and smooth, also being flat andhaving predetermined advertising media displayed for viewing thereon,the median portion of at least one panel portion being provided with aline of easy-to-tear perforations, extending at right angles from a freelengthwise edge of said one panel portion and defining and providing anaccessible area with which the aforementioned inserted coin is alignableand is thus made accessible for unhampered removal of said coin by therecipient of the package.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,110,939 9/14Jones 22969 1,999,660 4/ 35 Mosely et al 206-46 2,168,873 8/ 39 Cohen229-92'.9 2,209,601 7/40 Heywood 229 92.s 2,889,039 6/ 59 Schladermundtet a1. 206-63.2

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. A REFUND COIN CARRIER AND MAILER COMPRISING: AN EASY-TO-USE CARDADAPTED FOR ENCLOSED MAILING IN A CONVENTIONAL STAMPED, SEALED ENVELOPEADDRESSED TO THE RECIPIENT OF A REFUND COIN, SAID CARD HAVING A FOLDABLEOVERLAPPING PANEL PORTIONS WHOSE OPPOSED OVERLAPPING SURFACES AREFASTENED TOGETHER IN A MANNER TO DEFINE AND PROVIDE A TAMPERPROOF COINHOLDING AND TRANSMITTING INSERT FOR SAID ENVELOPE, SAID PANEL PORTIONSPERMITTING THE COIN TO BE SANDWICHED AND RETENTIVELY HELD THEREBETWEENWHILE BEING TRANSMITTED INTACT THROUGH THE MAILS AND ALSO PREVENTING THECOIN FROM SHIFTING FROM ITS GIVEN POSITION AND THUS RENDERING SAIDINSERT SUBSTANTIALLY PILFERPROOF, SAID CARD BEING MADE FROM ARECTANGULAR CARDBOARD BLANK HAVING A MEDIAN FOLDLINE DIVIDING SAID BLANKINTO SAID PANEL PORTIONS EACH RECTANGULAR IN PLAN, SAID OVERLAPPINGSURFACES CONSTITUTING THE INTERIOR SURFACE AND BEING WHOLLY COATED WITHPRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE WHICH EFFECTIVELY STICKS THE PANEL PORTIONSTOGETHER AND SEALS THE COIN ITS GIVEN POSITION THEREBETWEEN BUT IS SUCHIN CHARACTER THAT IT DOES NOT ADHERE DIRECTLY TO THE COIN AND HENCE DOESNOT HINDER AND HAMPER THE RECIPIENT IN DISLODGING AND FREEING THE COINFOR READY POCKET USE, THE EXTERIOR SURFACES OF THE PANEL PORTIONS BEINGCALENDERED AND SMOOTH, THE MEDAIN PORTION OF AT LEAST ONE PANEL PORTIONBEING PROVIDED WITH A LINE OF PERFORATIONS EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLESFROM THE FREE LENGTHWISE EDGE AND DEFINING AND PROVIDING AN ACCESSIBLEEASY-TO-TEAR AREA WITH WHICH THE INSERTED COIN IS ALIGNED FOR READYUNHAMPERED REMOVAL, AND THE MEDIAN PORTION OF THE OTHER PANEL PORTIONBEING LIKEWISE CONSTRUCTED, THE RESPECTIVE PERFORATED LINES BEINGOPPOSITE AND ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER.